Our Own House
by oswiins
Summary: a drabble collection for The Album Drabble Challenge.
1. our own house

**i. our own house**

Petunia's hand shook as she started to empty out the contents of her bag, placing the framed photographs of Dudley and all his achievements on the family's new table. _New._ She scoffed. Then she turned back to the photo frames. _Well, they could make it work. It wasn't like this was a small house. It was even bigger than their house at Privet Drive._ Thinking about Privet Drive made Petunia's heart clench. That was the place where she found somewhere safe. Safe to lead a normal life. Away from her parents, away from her sister, away from all that _magic_.

Stowing a few of Dudley's photographs in her arms, she ran up the stairs to find the room that Dudley had already claimed for himself. Where she found her son, her son snoring on the bed.

She smiled at the sight of him, so calm and so happy in his dreams.

One by one she placed the photos on the windowsill of the room. As she did, she recalled of the memories that came with the pictures. She could remember, as if it was yesterday.

Then her mind turned to the latest memory of Dudley.

Saying kind words to his cousin before they parted forever. She was going to do the same. To tell Harry that they were family, and that, they will always be. But the sentence stuck in her throat.

And she meant it. She will always mean it. That it was not her sister she hated, it was the fact that she would never be a part of her sister's world that she hated, so she pushed her away.

She tried to turn Harry into what she and Dudley were, so save Dudley the pain that she was put into.

Sometimes even when we're trying to help, we do more harm than good. And then the guilt rears its ugly head.

Petunia sighed. This was her family, and this her new home, she would protect it with every last breath. Petunia lied down on the bed with Dudley, and fell asleep.


	2. not your way

**ii. not your way**

 _What's worse? New wounds which are so horribly painful or old wounds that should have healed years ago and never did?_

"Reggy, why oh why! I never thought that you would join the _noble_ cause, follow in the footsteps of The Dark Lord!" His cousin cackled, her wild black hair almost hitting Regulus in the face as she pranced around his chair.

Regulus growled, and rolled his head backwards to look at Bellatrix. Not that he wasn't happy that he had joined the cause, it was sometimes his cousin could really be a little cuckoo.

"Are you sure you're ready?" His other cousin, at least his favourite by far, Narcissa asked him, concern written all over her face.

Of course they would worry about him, he was very young, younger than either of them, just two years out of Hogwarts.

Regulus smiled at her. "Of course, I'm sure. I'm certain. Don't worry about me."

Narcissa placed her hand on his shoulder softly in a reassuring way.

"Let's just wait and see how good he does! Are you up to following orders? Are you? Are you?" Bellatrix sneered.

Turns out he wasn't. And yet he thought he was.

After rolling the locket in his hands for a few minutes, he pocketed the locked and turned to his house elf, he said, "Kreacher, are you sure that everything's ready? Remember, if I can't come home, don't tell my parents. Please Kreacher -" He had to fight back the tears that was building up in his throat.

"But master? Are you sure?" Kreacher croaked, it seemed that he was going through the same emotions as Regulus was.

"Yes. I'm doing it my own way now. No more blindly following orders. I'm not doing it their way anymore."


	3. reflections

**iii. reflections**

Severus didn't know what he was doing, just that he had to escape from all the laughter and comments that was tossed at him every time he was out in the corridor, just trying to get to his class. Because of that Potter. Potter. That name just made him want to vomit all over the floor.

Not that he wasn't already spilling out liquified things out of his body. He didn't even want to reach up to his eyes and wipe the tears away.

"Enough asking, Snape. She's going out with Potter this weekend."

 _"She's going out with Potter this weekend."_

The words sounded eerie and unreal in his head. And yet it didn't seem to want to get out of his head. The sentence repeated itself again and again and again like an annoying song that he hated but was impervius-ed to sing it every single waking moment of his day.

He stumbled blindly into a empty classroom, and closed the door behind him.

Wheezing and coughing, it took some time for him to calm his breathing, but once he did, he looked up to see a full-length mirror before him.

He walked forward, expecting to see his pathetic self in the mirror. Instead, he saw himself with a broomstick in hand, a head boy badge pinned on his chest. More importantly, Lily in his arms, looking at him the way that Potter looked at him. Severus wiped his tears away and stared at the reflection. He was mesmerised, until a bell rang and he found himself running out of the classroom.

That night he found himself kneeling in his dormitory, hands covered in blood and shards of glass around him.

"LIES! ALL LIES!" He yelled, tears once more pouring from his eyes.


	4. oceans

**iv. oceans**

For Dudley, he never thought that this would ever happen, and now that it was actually happening made him laugh. He looked down at the little girl clutching at his hand. Jane argued that she was no longer a little girl anymore, but to him, she was always his little girl.

He was still a little shocked about where they were, standing along with owls and cats and all making a load of noise.

He had sent his cousin off at King's Cross Station so many times, and laughed when he had said the platform that he was going to take the train was Platform 9 and 3 quarters. Never did he think that he would be standing on that train station two decades later.

Glancing around the place, witches and wizards were sending off their children, some of them looked like Jane's age. "Here, you want to go forward and introduce yourself?" He bent down and nudged his daughter forward. "No, no," She moaned, and hugged him, so closely that he felt that he was going to burst.

He never wanted for this to end.

Dudley guessed that it was the same emotion that every parent will go through.

The shrill sound of the bell sounded and Dudley felt as if he missed a step going down the stairs. He pushed his daughter softly towards the train. "Go on," he whispered in her ears. He didn't like to admit to himself, but he was tearing up a little.

One very familiar face peered out of one of the train's door.

"Hey, Jane. Fancy seeing you in here. Come on, I'll help you take your trunk up. I'll help you pick an compartment." James said, smirking as he offered a hand and took Jane's trunk from her hand.

Jane smiled softly. Dudley loved the way she looked.

The way that her eyes will crinkle as she smile, and the small blush that will creep up her cheeks. She was the exact image of her mother, Dudley thought, his heart fluttering in pride. Then his daughter turned to her as soon as James disappeared in the train, the bell sounded once again. "Goodbye, daddy." She whispered, her voice small and fragile, and she buried herself in his arms.

And they let go.

Dudley watched as she hopped on the train, staring in her eyes. They were like an ocean, one that he would like to drown in.


	5. the best i can do

**v. best i can do**

"So, what have you been working on?" asked Jacob, placing his hand under his chin.

Queenie blinked and smiled at him. She knew exactly what was going through in his head, even though talking to other people, she tried not to read their minds, and especially with someone who doesn't know that she knows what's going on in his head.

"Nothing new. But you have, right?" she returned a question to him.

 _Yes, but I'm not sure that it's good enough._

Queenie wanted so much to reply that she was sure that they were good. But she had still to wait for him to reply.

Before he could, her sister appeared, walking over to them with her usual look of, you're in trouble. And Queenie knew exactly what she was upset about.

"This has to stop, come on, you can get coffee elsewhere." said Tina, her hands crossed, and her head cocked sideways.

Queenie stood up. "Please, Teenie, you have to understand, I can't stay away, OK?" she whispered so that Jacob couldn't hear.

Tina breathed heavily through her nose and looked between her sisters face and Jacob. "But, you have to try. You know that this relationship isn't authorised, so I'm telling you that I'm not going to tell anyone about this." Taking the lead from her sister, she whispered so that the no-maj who was craning his neck to listen in on their conversation.

"I know, and I love you Teenie, but I'm doing the best I can do. But, nothing is good enough for the MACUSA. But, of course, I will try as hard as I can. And once again, thank you." said Queenie, then hugged her sister.

Sitting back down on her seat, she turned to Jacob and said, "In case your wondering, I want this to be a date, and this might be the start of our story."


End file.
